Terri Mauro - The Everything Parents Guide To Sensory Integration Disorder: Get the Right Diagnosis, Understand Treatments, And Advocate for Your Child

THE
EVERYTHING
PARENT'S GUIDE TO
SENSORY
INTEGRATION
DISORDER

Get the right diagnosis, understand
treatments, and advocate for your child

Terri Mauro
with technical review by Sharon A. Cermak, Ed.D., OTR/L, FAOTA

Copyright 2006, F+W Publications, Inc.

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ISBN 10: 1-59337-714-2

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THE PARENT'S GUIDE TO: Sensory Integration Disorder

Dear Reader,

Maybe you've heard about sensory integration disorder from a doctor, a teacher, or a friend. Maybe you've read about it in a magazine or seen a story on television. Maybe you've hoped this new theory could explain the confusing way your child sometimes behaves. Or maybe you've just wondered whet her the world really needs another disorder, with so many acronyms already being pinned on kids who are discipline-resistant.

The exciting thing about sensory integration theory is that it can help you understand your child better, whether he is struggling enough to need a diagnosis of sensory integrat ion disorder or just has strong likes and dislikes that sometimes interfere with good behavior. Learning about sensor y proces sing, motor planning, and extreme s of sensitivity and alertness can make you a stronger, more percept ive parent, able to make the world a friendlier place for your child. And who wouldn't want to do that?

Since my son was diagnosed with sensory integration disorder nearly ten years ago, I've read and learned everything I could about it. I've picked the brains of occupational therapists, looking for ideas and tricks to help my jumpy boy. I've corresponded with other parents who have found this to be the key to helping their own children. The medical profe ssion may be slow to embrace sensory integration disorder as an accepted childhood malady, but moms and dads know what's most impor tant: Therapy and knowledge work. My hope is that this book will inspire you to join their ranks.

For Rick, Elena, and Andy

Welcome to THE PARENT'S GUIDES

As a parent, you're swamped with conflicting advice and parenting techniques that tell you what is best for your child. THE EVERYTHING PARENT'S GUIDES get right to the point about specific issues. They give you the most recent, up-to-date information on parenting trends, behavior issues, and health concerns providing you with a detailed resource to help you ease your parenting anxieties.

THE EVERYTHING PARENT'S GUIDES are an extension of the bestselling Everything series in the parenting category. These family-friendly books are designed to be a one-stop guide for parents. If you want authoritative information on specific topics not fully covered in other books, THE EVERYTHING PARENT'S GUIDES are the perfect resource to ensure that you raise a healthy, confident child.

Visit the entire Everything series at www.everything.com

Sensory Integration Disorder

n. A disorder characterized by the inability to accurately process information coming to the brain from the senses, which results in inaccurate judgment of sensory information such as touch, sight, movement, taste, and sound.

Acknowledgments

So much of what I've learned about sensory integration has come from the professionals who have worked with my son, generously sharing their knowledge and collaborating with me to help him be his best. I'd like to thank his occupational therapists, especially Dinah Leiter, Susan Wisotsky, and Linda Lee, and his wonderful special education teachers Shirley Winkler, Wendy James, Jean Labriola, Linda Weisholtz, Maryann Stanckiewitz, Ursula Zarife, and Angela Fatsis.

Other parents have also been an amazing resource for information about sensory integration. Thanks to all the members of the Eastern European Adoption Coalition's APR and PEP lists for advice given over the years, and to the members who volunteered to share their experiences with me directly for this book, especially Kathleen, Karen, Terrie, Jennifer, Jo Ellen, and Harriet. On a personal note, my thanks to my agent, Barb Doyen, for getting me into this; my husband Rick and children Elena and Andy, for helping me out; and my mother, the late Ruth Evens Sheen, who always knew I would write a book.

Introduction

Your child is a unique individual. Her strengths and weaknesses, interests and sensitivities are what make her the original, special person she is. You don't hesitate to find methods to help your child learn in ways that are best suited to her particular abilities and struggles. You look eagerly to find her talents and encourage them. You brag about her accomplishments, and you enjoy all those little quirks of personality that distinguish your child from the rest her offbeat sense of humor, eagerness to please, strong sense of self, great personal style. So why is discipline treated as a one-size-fits-all affair?